Brain Damage/Brian Damage

Chapter 4

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Brian and Justin sat at the kitchen bar in the loft and sipped their coffee. Brian had made a few discreet phone calls yesterday and Britin would be ready for them this afternoon.

His plan was for Justin to say hi to the gang today and then Brian would whisk him away to their large house in West Virginia so he could recuperate in peace. He actually couldn't wait to introduce Justin to their country manor all over again. This time it would be without the taint of Justin's doubts about his intentions.

The loft buzzer rang and Brian cringed. Justin ignored him and went over to answer it.

"Hey," he spoke into the intercom.

"Sunshine? Is that you?" came the brash voice.

"Hey, Deb. Yeah, it's me. Come on up."

Brian's head was in his hands. Fuck. Did no one in this fucked up family ever listen to him? He hadn't had time to brief Deb on the story and now she was going to come up here and fuck it all up. Fuck Justin up.

Justin moved to open the door, but Brian pushed passed him and slid it open just as Debbie had been about to knock. "Deb!" Brian exclaimed, kissing her on the cheek. "I need to talk to you," he ground out into her ear.

"It's fine," she bit back quietly, handing him her bags. "I want to see my sunshine." She cheerfully pushed Brian aside and took Justin into a bone breaking hug. "Oh, honey, I heard you got hurt. Are you okay? Is Brian taking good care of you?"

Justin smiled. "I'm okay, Deb, and, yes, Brian is taking good care of me." He frowned a bit. "My brains are just a little scrambled."

Deb kissed him on the cheek. "I know, Sunshine, but we'll get you fucking right as rain in no time." She moved back over to Brian and took back her sacks. "I knew that you and your husband," she emphasized the word husband and looked at Brian, raising an eyebrow, "wouldn't have any food here after your trip to New York so I brought lunch."

Brian sighed a small breath of relief and smiled. Deb had obviously talked to Jennifer before coming over. "Thanks, Deb," he replied.

Deb ignored him and began putting food on plates in the kitchen. She put the plates on the bar and both men sat down. "So, you'll both be coming to dinner at my house tonight." It was a statement, not a question.

Brian stared hard at her. "We were going to the West Virginia house this afternoon."

Deb raised an eyebrow. As far as she knew Brian hadn't been out to that house since Justin left for New York. "So, fucking go after dinner. Everyone wants to see Sunshine and make sure he's all right."

"I don't know, Deb. He's…"

"Fuck, Brian!" Justin exclaimed. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here. And stop trying to protect me from everything. I want to go to dinner at Deb's. I want to see everyone. We'll go to our house after." He stood up and kissed Debbie on the cheek. "Thanks for lunch, Deb. I need to go get a shower."

Brian and Debbie watched Justin walk away. "He's right, you know," Debbie commented. "You're not going to be able to protect him from everything and sooner or later he'll remember it all anyway."

"I know," Brian said softly as he moved to the window and stared down to the street.

Debbie moved up behind him. "But this is your second chance, isn't it, honey? Your chance to do it all the right way?"

Brian sent her a wry look. Fuck, she always could read him like a book. "You're going to think I'm horrible."

"You don't want him to remember?"

"Not all of it."

"You can't pick and choose, Brian. Those memories, everything the two of you have gone through; they made you the men you are today."

"I'm not lying about us being married. I put the ring on in the hospital and I said vows. I had every intention of repeating them to him when he woke up. I want him back here with me, Deb."

"I never said you were lying, and I know you do."

He ran a hand through his hair. "So what the fuck do I do now?"

"You come to dinner tonight and let him see the family. Be a little late so Jen and I can tell everyone the score, and then you take him out to that mansion you bought for him, and you help him heal. One day at a time."

Brian nodded. "Thanks, Deb."

"Any time, honey. You know that." She hesitated. "So is he going to wonder where Vic is tonight? Will we have to explain?"

Brian shook his head. "I told him last night. You would have been proud, I even told him about my big mouth and you hitting me."

Deb smiled. "Good boy. Honesty is the key. And thanks for doing that. It would have been too hard."

"I know." Brian smiled back and then Deb picked up her stuff and left.

Brian made his way to the bathroom to join his husband in the shower. He pulled Justin back against his chest. "I'm sorry."

Justin turned to look at Brian. "For what?"

"For trying to protect you from everything."

"I'm not sure what you're trying to protect me from, Brian. I wake up and you tell me you love me and that we're married. Apparently, I'm a somewhat successful artist. I have everything I ever wanted."

"There are things…"

Justin reached up and kissed him, cutting him off. "Of course there are "things," you idiot. It's been six years and it's us. Do you really think I believe we lived happily ever after?" Brian could only stand and stare. "The important thing is that we're here, together, we'll just have to muddle through the rest of it."

Brian nodded. "You're still smarter than me, even with brain damage." He pulled Justin in for another kiss.

"I'm still the most mature person you know, Brian," Justin replied against his lips and they both smiled at the memory.

Brian's hands wandered further south and all else was forgotten for a little while, anyway.

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When the hot water was all used up and they were finally dry and dressed Brian approached Justin while he was shaving. "I should go into the office for a bit today. Want to come?"

Justin smiled. "You mean you aren't going to wrap me in cotton and lock me in the loft?"

"Fuck off, twat," Brian replied with a smile. "Do you want to come or not?"

"Sure, do you still work at Ryder? Are you a partner now? I bet you are."

Brian smiled mysteriously. "Come with me and ye shall find out."

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Justin looked confused when Brian pulled his new Mercedes onto Liberty Avenue. He looked positively scared when Brian parked next to a building he was certain was a bath house. The fear evaporated, however, when he looked up and saw the Kinnetik sign out front and the chic interior.

"Kinnetik," Justin read out loud. He was silent for a moment and then turned to Brian excitedly. "Oh my God! You opened your own agency!"

"That I did. Come on." Brian opened the door and ushered him inside.

"This is so great!" Justin exclaimed. "This was a bath house, wasn't it?"

"Yes. Your mother found it for me."

"No shit?"

"No shit," Brian answered with a smile as he led Justin into his office, happy that Ted and Cynthia were nowhere to be found at the moment.

"And Kinnetik; that's a brilliant name," Justin said.

"You would think so. You thought of it."

"Wow, I'm brilliant." Justin's attention was caught by a large painting that hung behind the sofa in Brian's office. He sucked in a breath because, though it was abstract, he could very distinctly make out the two bodies entwined under the old blue neon lights above Brian's bed. He caught sight of his distinct signature in the bottom corner. "I did that?" he breathed out.

"Does that surprise you?" Brian asked, wrapping his arms around Justin's shoulders.

"You hung it in your office? Where everyone can see?"

"No one has ever gotten what it really is," Brian answered smugly. "I knew they wouldn't."

"But it's so obvious," Justin replied.

"I think only to you and me," Brian turned Justin in his arms and kissed him. He pulled back and rested his forehead against Justin's. "The most important thing is that it's still obvious to you."

Justin smiled. "I see your point."

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Later that night, Brian and Justin arrived at Debbie's fashionably late as instructed. Justin was greeted warmly by his mom, Ted, Emmett and then "introduced" to the others.

He was shocked to see Blake with Ted and was told how he had overcome his crystal meth addiction and was now a drug counselor.

He was also shocked by Michael's warm greeting. He had kissed Justin on the cheek and given him a long hug. Michael had always only barely tolerated him and now he was acting as though they were good friends. Almost as good of friends as Michael and Brian.

"This is my husband, Ben, Justin."

"Hi, Ben. Sorry, I know I should remember you."

"I understand. I'm sure it will all come back to you in time."

Justin turned to Michael when Ben excused himself to go help Debbie in the kitchen and the others were all engaged in different conversations. "Wow, he's hot," Justin pointed to where Ben was setting the table. Michael smiled.

"I know. Our son should be here any minute. He works at the diner now."

"Your son?" Justin looked confused. "He works at the diner. He must be older than six."

Michael looked at him oddly. "Oh, oh no! He's a teenager. We took him in off the street."

"That makes more sense," Justin smiled. "That's so cool that you would do that."

"Hey, did Brian tell you I own my own comic store now?"

"Yes, he said something last night."

"Brian told me I could show you these." Michael handed him a stack of comics. "He said it might help you remember."

"What is it?" Justin looked down at the book on top, which was the latest issue of Rage.

"It's Rage. The comic world's gay superhero."

Justin began to thumb through the pages. "This is really cool, Michael, but why would it help me remember anything."

"Look at who the creators are, Justin," Brian called from across the room.

Justin looked up at him and noticed that all eyes were now on him. He slowly looked down at the comic and was shocked to find that the stories were written by Michael Novotny and illustrated by Justin Taylor. "Oh my God," Justin whispered. He looked up at Michael. "We did this? Together?"

Michael simply smiled and nodded to him. "Just you and me." Justin looked closer at the illustrations and then over to Brian. His smile widened. "Holy fuck! You're Rage!"

"The one and only," Brian smirked back.

"Sweet!" Justin exclaimed and the others were amused by his youthful exuberance and how he did, in fact, remind them all of the teenaged Justin.

"Please don't feed his ego any more," begged Ted, rolling his eyes at Brian. "We'll have to have a wider door put in at work so his head will fit through."

"Fuck off, Theodore. Remember who signs your checks," Brian snarked back.

Justin laughed, but his attention was soon drawn back to the comic and he and Michael bent over it, reading, until Debbie called them all for dinner.

As they were all getting up, the front door swung open and a young man entered. Justin looked up. "Hey, Hunter," he called casually.

Hunter looked surprised and looked at the others. "Dudes, I thought you said he didn't remember anything."

Brian's stared at Justin. "He doesn't. Do you?"

Justin shook his head. "Well, no, but for some reason…" he trailed off and studied Hunter again. "Your name is Hunter and you want to sleep with Brian."

"You remember Hunter?" Brian asked in shock. "Of all the fucking things?"

"Hey!" replied Hunter in an offended tone.

"I'm just saying…" Brian answered. He looked back at Justin. "Hunter? Really?"

"I told you I was unforgettable," Hunter batted his eyes and Brian, who only rolled his own eyes in return.

Justin shrugged, feeling self-conscious from having all the attention focused on him yet again.

Emmett sensed Justin's discomfort and cleared his throat. "Well, I don't blame you one bit, honey," he drawled to Justin and draped his arm around his boyfriend. "I would sure as hell remember anyone that tried to make the moves on my Calvin here. There are some things a boy just does not forget, or forgive." He winked at Justin.

Laughter filled the room and with the tension broken they all moved into the dining room. Brian pulled Justin and they hung back a little. "Hunter?" he asked again.

"Shut up and get the fuck over it," Justin retorted. "At least it's something."

He pulled Brian to the table and sat down to the mounds of food Deb was dishing up to them.

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